William e



(No Model.)

W. E. CRANDALL.

TOY BUILDING BLOCKS. No. 278,224. Patented May 22,1883.

I z I INVBNTOR 2 5222215.

Llll L1H Lma, BY

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. URAND'ALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOY BUILDING-BLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 278,224, dated May 22, 1 883.

' Application filed January 30. 1883. (No modol) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. GRANDALL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Toy Building-Blocks; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement in toy building-blocks; and the invention consists ina series of toy buildingblocks proportioned to represent miniature bricksand half-bricks, with dowel-pins titted thereto, and corresponding holes to receive said pins formed therein; and the invention also consists in the aforesaid blocks, in combination with windows and doors having dowelpins fitted into the frames thereof, and steps, base-bars or sills, cornices, and railings.

The invention further consists, in combination with the aforesaid blocks, of a box to contain the same when not in use'and to afford a foundation for the same when in use.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view'of my blocks as used in a structure, showing a door, window, railing, steps, and box-foundation. Fig. 2 is a section of same, showing dowel-pins. Fig. 3 is a detailed view of detached block.

Similarletters of referenceindicate like parts in the several figures.

To enable children to produce in miniature many of the objects with which they are famil-iar-such as houses, towers, forts, 85c.- thereby affording amusement and instruction by assisting their ingenuity, is the purpose of this invention.

Toy building-blocks of many different sizes and forms are well known; but they have not been made of a form that would enable the child, if sufficiently ingenious, to reproduce in miniature substantially a correct representation of many familiar structures.

To that end I make my toy blocks A of the exact proportion of the ordinary buildingbrick, but in miniature, the blocks A representing the full size of the building-brick, and the blocks B the half-size of the same. These blocks may be made of any suitable material, preferably wood,which is light and easily handied, and to each blockAare fitted two dowelpins, a, and in their under side are formed two holes, 11, to receive the dowel-pins of the block next adjacent, and to each of the halfformed a hole. In addition to the blocks described above, a series of base-bars or sills may be provided having dowel-pins and holes corresponding with those attached to and formed in the blocks; and windows 0 and doors D maybe made of con venientsizc, to the frames 0 and d of which are also fixed dowel-pins, and formed holes to receive the dowelpins in adjacent blocks.

A box, IE, to contain these blocks when not in use, is provided. In the top or covene of this box are formed a series of holes, which will receive the dowel-pins of the blocks, so that when a structure is formedfrom the blocks this box then becomes its foundation, as shown in Fig. 1,.

Now, when my blocks are constructed sub stantially as described, the dowel-pins a are inserted into the holes I) in the cover of the box, and the blocks therein are placed one upon another, so as to break joints, the dowel-pins in one block entering into the holes in the blocks next below or next aboveit, and so on until the structure has attained the size and form desired. As the blocks are in this Way built up, the windows 0 and doors at at proper places are built in with the blocks and kept in position by the dowel-pins of the blocks entering into the holes in the frame of the windows and doors, respectively; and when the structure has reached the required height it may be finished with a cornice placed around the top course of blocks, the cornice being also provided with dowel-pins for that purpose. A railing, F, suitablyplaccd in position, and also steps G by its side, complete the structure. Instead of using the top or lid 6 of the box E for a foundation, as described, base-bars or sills consisting of strips of wood provided with dowel-pins or holes maybe used for that purpose. These base-bars or sills will be particularly useful in constructing bridges. Around the doors and windows the half-blocks B may be employed with advantage, as they may be also when building up structures having any irregular front. The blocks maybe colored to represent the usual brick color.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen thatwith my blocks any ordinary brick building can be reproduced in miniature to the infinite satisfaction and amusement of the user.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A toy consisting of a series of miniature whole and half blocks having the proportions of ordinarybuilding-bricks,and provided with dowel-pins and holes to receive the same, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a seiies of whole and half blocks with dowel-pins and holes, the combination of doors and windows with the frames thereof also provided with holes and dowel-pins, as and for the purpose described. 7 V

3. In a series of whole and half buildingbloeks provided with dowels and holes, a box to receive said blocks when not in use, with holes in its lid, andadapted to form a foun dation for structures built from said blocks,

-\'VM. n. ORANDALL.

Witnesses G. M. PLY P'roN, JNO. N. BRUNS. 

